Caiman and free flight birds

@Orycteropus: Leeches???-well, too bad for the keeper having to "feed" them...;)
So Budapest's combination does no longer exist? What's there instead?

Another combination: tomistomas & waterfowl at Fuengirola Zoo.
 
@ Sun Wukong:
Budapest Zoo: currently the alligators mixed only with a large amount of fresh water fish … but if there any changes had been taken, I can see that to next week …

Fuengirola Zoo: I read at the EAZA News some years earlier that they mixed their False gharials with different fresh water fish and turtle species, and additionally Lar gibbons and Indian peafowls had access to this area.
 
Hi,

Crocodilians are sometimes kept with birds, but they regularly catch them. It was the reason why caiman pool in Arnhem was covered by a net.

I would think that placement of branches/vegetation is important, so birds don't have branches to tempt them to perch in crocs striking range and caimans cannot hide easily.
 
I quite agree that design can minimize the risk....and that there is unavoidable risk. The question the curator must decide, is whether that risk is worth the educational value of a mixed exhibit, and if so, what birds may be used. We shall see.
 
I don't know much about building exhibits and things but design is very important. An idea would be to have branches and other things like that on one side and on the other side have the croc pool. Maybe fish in the enclosure will provide a snack for the reptiles and they won't always try to catch the birds. (lots of saltwater croc exhibits in Australia have fish in them) One last thing, make sure the crocs are well fed that might help.
 
Just remembered another example: Krefeld Zoo. However, the caimans there are known to have already caught a bird or two.
 
Aalborg zoo had (has?) some crocodile with various small birds like tanagers and manakins for many years. I was told they hadn't had any problems. I guess ground birds or larger birds would be a bad idea.
 
Just an up-date:
As we got into design, and realized that caimen require a minimum of 400 sq feet of water and land, I think they take up too much floor space and are not the best match for this exhibit and it's story (which is biodiversity...so an animal that reduces our ability to include other animals and plants is a poor candidate). I'm favoring agouti today
 
What about a South American River freshwater species, like a smaller Podocnemis species, Staurotypus sp. or the Matamata?
 
Sun Wukong said:
What about a South American River freshwater species, like a smaller Podocnemis species, Staurotypus sp. or the Matamata?
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There will be other turtle "tanks". I think matamata need underwater viewing for the best effect and that sort of tank is not in this budget. And thanks, nonetheless, for thinking about it!
 
With aguti's you can throw in a green iguana or two, add some south american bird species (arassari's?), perhaps a pond with pacu's and add a family of pygmee marmosets and you got yourself a serieusly nice exhibit :)

Oh and a sloth, it needs a sloth really...
 
I always thought it would be nice to install big branch over visitors' path and put heating inside, so iguanas or basilisks will sit overhead and look down at you.

If you use this idea, put lots of pics from NA zoos in return! ;)
 
Jurek7 said:
I always thought it would be nice to install big branch over visitors' path and put heating inside, so iguanas or basilisks will sit overhead and look down at you.
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That is a good idea and the majority of responsible zoo visitors would enjoy getting close to the animals. Unfortunately the problem with walk-through aviaries/enclosures of any type is the sort of loutish visitor who will abuse or steal the animals. Small placid reptiles would be particulary vulnerable to theft. Most exhibits like this need members of staff permanently posted there to prevent this behaviour.
 
@Zooplantman: My pleasure. I hope I haven't jolted a wild suggestion round...;)
@jwer: If the exhibit is already too small for caimans (well, depending on the species), a nice school of, say, black pacus will equally feel like passengers in a Tokyo Underground train at rush hour...;) Silver dollars or some medium/large Central/ South American cichlids like Cichlasoma salvini might be more appropriate.
Basiliks can be pretty flighty, which can be a problem (Jurek7's scenario!), depending on the husbandry. Green iguanas are nice and fine (yet pretty standard), but need strong and durable plants, as they otherwise ruin plants.

What about tegus?
 
What about Yellow-footed or Red footed tortoise with a ground-dwelling/semi-aquatic bird like Wattled Jacana or Gallinule sp. ?

I don't think I'd recommend tegus for mixed species, but they'd be okay on their own.
 
^Chris^ said:
I don't think I'd recommend tegus for mixed species, but they'd be okay on their own.
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...that's what I had in mind when I suggest them. The cichlids might go with them, too.

Yellow-/Red-Foot's also crossed my mind, but I'm pretty sure the Bronx Zoo already keeps at least one of the two species somewhere. And besides that, see Zooplantman's remark re: already existing "turtle tanks".

Does it actually have to be a Central/South American theme?;)

@Orycteropus: nice but rather unoriginal (in terms of the species) idea, but I think the caimans & turtles are already ruled out in this scenario, aren't they?
 
Becareful with Agoutis...Jacksonville Zoo used to house them in their aviary, but it resulted in a full massacre of several nests and some waterfowl. They stuck with Pudu instead.
 
Thanks, team

1. It has been decided that this exhibit will not be "geographically correct." We can mix whatever works

2. One viewing area will be open between the exhibit and the public (except for a night curtain). It has been decided that any ground animals that require much of a barrier will not be allowed. So....agouti or dik dik, perhaps. Ground birds, unlikely. The caiman are now definitely out.

I'll keep you posted when the design dust settles
 
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